Hydrotherapy is a recognized treatment for a number of injuries and physical disabilities, and this has led to the development of numerous whirlpool bath units for providing such treatments. Many therapeutic bath units consist of large, fixed tubs or tanks which incorporate large motor and pump units that draw water from the bottom of the tub or tank and supply the water under pressure to a number of massage jets which introduce water streams into the tub. Often, the motor also drives an air compressor which aerates the water ejected from the massage jets. Such a unit is illustrated by German Patent DE3544002A to Trabert.
In some fixed bathtub systems for generating a jet stream or bubble jet of water, a pump is provided which pumps water from the bottom of the bathtub through a fixed pipe system and back into the bathtub through water discharge ports. In systems of this type, the normal bathtub drain pipe may be connected to the output of the pump by a changeover valve which permits the pump to discharge water from the bathtub into the drain pipe. A bathtub system of this type is illustrated by Japanese Patent No. 3-158532(A).
In an attempt to develop therapeutic bath devices having some adjustability, the tub or tank employed has been provided with a motor driven impeller for creating a water jet which is vertically adjustable. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,237,435 and 2,417,499 to Ille are illustrative of known adjustable impellers for use with the bathtub or tank.
Although known prior art devices operate effectively to create a water jet flow within the tank or bathtub, they lack the portability and total adjustability which would be ideal for an effective hydrotherapy unit. Tubs or tanks which are fixed in place to either the plumbing of a building or a support frame can prove difficult to completely drain and clean. This is particularly true for units having an impeller which pumps a water stream through fixed ports formed in the tub or tank, as it is extremely difficult to effectively clean and disinfect such ports and the conduits leading thereto.